Meeting of the Parliament

Time for Reflection Father Krzysztof Garwolinski, Parish Priest of St Patrick's Shieldmuir and St Thomas' Wishaw followed by Topical Questions Audrey Nicoll S6T-01591 1. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the impact of Storm Babet on communities in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Tayside and Perthshire. Liz Smith S6T-01598 2. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statement issued by COSLA that the handling of the recent announcement about the council tax freeze undermined the spirit and the letter of the Verity House Agreement. Pam Duncan-Glancy S6T-01590 3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recently announced Centre of Teaching Excellence. followed by First Minister’s Statement: Gaza and Israel followed by Ministerial Statement: Planning for Winter 2023-24 and Ongoing Resilience Across Health and Social Care followed by Scottish Government Debate: Transvaginal Mesh Jenni Minto S6M-10915 That the Parliament welcomes the report of the independent Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review; acknowledges the severe and painful complications endured by women after the implantation of transvaginal mesh and regrets that their trauma may have been exacerbated by initial service responses that doubted their lived experiences; notes the continuing improvement in support, informed by the views of affected women, offered by the specialist mesh surgical service at the New Victoria Hospital in Glasgow in particular and NHS Scotland in general, in ways well aligned with the recommendations of Professor Britton’s review; further notes the Chief Medical Officer’s request of NHS boards to sustain good practice in the seeking and recording of patients’ informed consent and to be assured locally that affected women are able to access the national mesh removal referral pathway, and supports the Scottish Government’s continuing commitment to offering women a choice of surgeon, if mesh removal surgery is considered appropriate, and to reimbursing women who had previously arranged qualifying mesh removal surgery privately. Tess White S6M-10915.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-10915 in the name of Jenni Minto (Transvaginal Mesh), leave out from first “notes” to end and insert “recognises that waiting times for mesh-injured women accessing the specialist mesh surgical service are significant and that urgent action is required by the Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland to reduce long waits; notes with concern that affected women must be seen by a local urogynaecologist within their NHS board before being referred to specialist services and that a GP referral is not available; further notes that the referral pathway is lengthy and complex, especially relating to independent providers and post-operative care; urges the Scottish Government to implement the full recommendations of Professor Britton’s review to improve the support and outcomes available for women affected by surgical mesh, including the implementation of a new register for patients; requires the Scottish Government to report back to the Scottish Parliament on progress towards the implementation of the review’s recommendations, including on how the management of women’s healthcare and the communication of treatment implications are being addressed by NHS boards; seeks assurances that there will be a patient role in shaping how services supporting mesh-injured women are provided, and calls for clarity around the reimbursement arrangements for women who have arranged qualifying mesh removal surgery privately.” Jackie Baillie S6M-10915.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-10915 in the name of Jenni Minto (Transvaginal Mesh), insert at end “; is concerned by the long waits for a first appointment at the Complex Mesh Surgical Service, whilst some women have reported a lack of clarity around accessing the full range of support available for mesh-related injuries; regrets that not all of the recommendations of the reviews by Professor Britton have been implemented; agrees that a realistic medicine approach is essential going forward, where patients are empowered and supported to be in control of their healthcare, and calls on the Scottish Government to set out how it will eradicate long waits for appointments and ensure that women affected by transvaginal mesh are informed and able to easily access the range of support available, which should be person-centred and trauma-informed ongoing care, and to publish both a strategy for increased surgical training and capacity building in alternative procedures to mesh, and data on waiting times for alternative procedures.” followed by Legislative Consent Motion Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill - UK Legislation followed by Decision Time followed by Members' Business — S6M-10526 Collette Stevenson: Challenge Poverty Week 2023 That the Parliament recognises Challenge Poverty Week 2023, which is coordinated by the Poverty Alliance, Scotland’s anti-poverty network, and which runs from 2 to 8 October; notes that activities, events and actions will take place across Scotland to highlight the realities of, and solutions to, poverty, as well as increasing public support for tackling poverty; understands that the week emphasises the importance of a number of key policy asks, to help to unlock people from the grip of poverty, including the role of communities, access to food and adequate incomes; believes that over one million people in Scotland, including 250,000 children, are living in the grip of poverty and that the ongoing cost of living crisis continues to pull even more into hardship; notes the view that governments, politicians, civil society and communities all have a role to play in solving poverty; understands that particular groups of people, including low-paid women, lone parents, disabled people and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds are disproportionately experiencing poverty; notes the view that poverty in Scotland can be solved by utilising all levers to boost incomes and reduce the impact of the cost of living crisis; further notes the view that people in Scotland support action to end poverty and believe in compassion and social justice; celebrates the work undertaken by organisations and communities across Scotland to stem what it sees as the rising tide of poverty, and notes the view that people across Scotland, including all MSPs, should attend and support events and activities in their areas to mark Challenge Poverty Week 2023.